On the Beat: Vermont Reggae Fest Returns, Sunday Night Mass

Nectar’s closing for the summer isn’t a blow only to the local music scene. The area will also deal with the fallout from losing popular events and series that the club hosted. What will become of the long-running and very popular trivia night at Nectar’s, or Mi Yard Reggae Night? We hope to have some answers soon, so stay tuned to these pages.

In the meantime, we do know the date of the final Sunday Night Mass, and it’s a proper rager to see the series off (for now). French electronic producer Olivier Mateu, aka Rodriguez Jr., is booked as the series’ final performer at the Lounge at Nectar’s on Sunday, May 25. A 25-year veteran of the EDM scene, Rodriguez Jr. has a robust catalog of acclaimed records, including 2023’s Feathers & Bones, and has remixed music for Timo Maas and Röyksopp.

Sunday Night Mass and Nexus Artists founder Justin Remillard isn’t sure what the future holds for the EDM event he’s been running since the ’90s.

“This could indeed be the final showcase for the Sunday Night Mass brand under that roof,” he wrote in an email, noting that Nectar’s may reopen after the summer. “So we either wait and see what happens, shut it down after 27 years, or find a new home for the showcases.”

After the one-two punch of the final Waking Windows festival and Nectar’s announcing its summer vacation, it’s encouraging to see the comeback of a beloved music event. On Saturday, August 23, the Vermont Reggae Fest will return after a 23-year hiatus. The event was a big deal in the ’80s and ’90s, starting off at Battery Park in Burlington before outgrowing the space and moving to Oakledge Park, North Beach and Hardwick over the course of its 16-year run.

True 802 Cannabis has partnered with promoter Ed Maier‘s ElmThree production company to revive the fest, originally launched by musician Bobby Hackney Sr. of the punk band Death and reggae act Lambsbread. Hackney will serve as an ambassador to the festival, which boasts a lineup featuring Jamaican dancehall star Barrington Levy, American reggae band John Brown’s Body, Lambsbread, first-wave ska band the Skatalites, Vermont’s own Channel Two Dub Band, and a family-friendly morning set by the Rock and Roll Playhouse paying tribute to Bob Marley.

A reggae fest with legal weed on the scene should be interesting! (Note from the Seven Days legal team: Smoking in public is still against the law.) It all goes down at Switchback Brewing in Burlington. For more info and to purchase tickets, visit vermontreggaefest.com.

Middlebury singer-songwriter Melissa D drops her latest single, “Will I Be Bored in Heaven?” on May 16. The breezy folk-pop number is full of chiming mandolin solos and Melissa’s clear vocals. A simple yet effective love song, it shows off the songwriting chops of a musician who previously fronted rock group the Alley Katz and performed with the late, great Burlington saxophonist Joe Moore. Give it a listen at melissadmusic.com.

Also dropping a new track is singer-songwriter Ali McGuirk. The soul and roots artist moved to Vermont from Northampton, Mass., in 2023, just after releasing the album Til It’s Gone. “Where Does All the $ Come From?” is McGuirk’s first release since. A searing, politically charged song dripping in slow-burn R&B and delicious harmonies, the tune is as cerebral as it is sultry.

Find it on streaming sites and at alimcguirk.com. McGuirk plays Burlington’s the District VT, formerly ArtsRiot, on Saturday, June 7, with Acqua Mossa.

And finally, folk artist and banjoist Jason Baker has released “Revolution Is Irresistible.” In a timely reminder that the fabric of American democracy feels increasingly threadbare these days, Baker goes full Woody Guthrie on this call-to-arms protest song.

“Given no real choice to choose / and you’ve got nothing left to lose / seems like the whole world’s got the blues / revolution becomes irresistible,” Baker sings. You can stream it over at jbakervt.com.